Panteleimon Egorov, Director of the North-East Scientific and Innovation Center for the Development of Inclusive Education of North-Eastern Federal University, exchanged scientific and practical experience with German colleagues in introducing a continuous system of inclusive education. The trip took place as part of the scholarship program of Russian-German research academic exchanges from September 1 to December 2.

Panteleimon Egorov got acquainted with the work of the Department of Human-Computer Interaction, Faculty of Computer Science of the University of Dresden. “I studied the Braille graphic display - a unique device developed by specialists from German universities and businesses for blind people. Thanks to the Braille graphic display, the Hyperbraille project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, created preconditions for blind and visually impaired people to have much wider than before access to training and professional development opportunities for the first time, including access to completely new professions”, said the director.

Braille graphic display can increase the amount of information perceived by blind computer users. Space structures and graphic symbols become available as additional information. Geometrical drawings, mathematical and scientific formulas, space sketches, diagrams might become accessible to blind students in the classroom. Technical drawings, electrical diagrams or even the unified modeling language used to develop software can give blind people access to new professional skills, Panteleimon Egorov noted.

According to the director of NEFU Center for the Development of Inclusive Education, not all universities in Germany have a support service for students with special educational needs. “Students with special educational needs study at all faculties. They, like ordinary students, master general education programs: there are no adapted training programs for them,” Panteleimon Egorov said.